Transactions are entered into STARS in batches. The batches must be reviewed and released.

If a batch requires release authority higher than anyone in your agency has, request the State Controller's Office (SCO) to release the batch by sending an e-mail to servicedesk@sco.idaho.gov. If the batch is an appropriation batch, send the release request to the Division of Financial Management (DFM).

After a batch is released, STARS processes the transactions in the batch during the nightly Input, Edit, and Update (IEU). In most cases, STARS creates either an electronic funds transfer (EFT) or a warrant payment for mailing the next morning. STARS also provides reports of expenditures and disbursements.

There are differences between expenditures and disbursements.

• Expenditures require expenditure subobjects, and they reduce appropriation balances. Expenditures may be recorded after being encumbered, or they may be recorded without going through the encumbrance process.
• Cash disbursements may include refunds of revenue or a suspense account, or payments of amounts held in trust for someone else. Disbursements also can include other "pass-through" of funds that do not belong to the agency, such as sales tax collected for the State Tax Commission. Disbursements often require a Subsidiary Number, a seven-digit code that identifies the sources of the funds you are disbursing.

To help with data entry of transactions, you can use the optional Expenditure Disbursement Input (EXPDISB) form.

Batch Type and Transaction Codes

You must enter a batch header before you can enter a expenditure or disbursement transaction.  The normal batch type to make an expenditure or disbursement payment is a batch type 4 or 5.

The STARS fiscal coding requirements depend on the transaction code (TC).  Most expenditure TCs require a Fund, Budget Unit, Index, and PCA code. Other codes may be optional but used by an agency for reporting purposes. The Index or PCA code can be setup in STARS to lookup and automatically enter many other codes during data entry, including a Grant, Project, Fund, and Budget Unit.

The following is a list of the most commonly used expenditure and disbursement transaction codes. For a complete description of the TCs, the required fields, and the files they post to, see the DAFR8640 Transaction Code Decision Table Report (List of TCs) report.

TC 230 - Expenditure Not Encumbered

(Approval level 3) 

This TC records a regular payment to a vendor and posts to the Vendor Payment File.  Use this TC if you have not encumbered the amount.

A TC 230 posts to General Ledger accounts 4200 (DR-expenditures) and 1003 (CR-cash in treasury).

TC 230 Data Entry Requirements

You must enter the following elements for a TC 230.

Important tips for entering TC 230:

• INV-NO - Recommended, but not required. Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub to help identify the payment for the vendors. STARS posts this information to the Vendor Payment File.  This invoice number is printed on daily and expenditure reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• INV-DESC - Recommended, but not required. Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub for the vendor. STARS also posts this information to the Vendor Payment File. The invoice description is printed on daily and expenditure reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• PROP# / COMP# - The expenditure subobject may require posting to the Fixed Asset System (FAS).  If so, enter the ten-character property number and the two-digit component number. STARS requires this number on some of the Capital Outlay subobjects and transfers this information to the Fixed Asset System.
• Check the Expenditure Subobject to be sure it is correct for the type of payment you are making, including whether the payment should be 1099 reportable.
• Check the Vendor Number, Name, and Address to be sure they belong to the vendor you are paying.
• This will post to a Grant and/or Project.

TC 282 - EXPENDITURE NOT ENCUMBERED (NO VEN NO. REQ)

(Approval level 3)

This TC records a payment to a vendor but does not post to the Vendor Payment File.  Use this TC for a payment where it is impractical to get a vendor number.  Since these transactions do not post to the Vendor Payment File, it is important to locate a vendor number and pay through a TC 230 transaction. This will ensure that we post all 1099 reportable items to a vendor.  It also helps the agency to locate the payment at a future date.

In unusual circumstances, SCO may grant exceptions to use TC 282 for special payments.  In these cases, the agency should have controls to be able to locate the payment by vendor since the information is not on the Vendor Payment File.  These exception payments are usually not for 1099 reportable items.

A TC 282 posts to General Ledger accounts 4200 (DR-expenditures) and 1003 (CR-cash in treasury).

TC 282 Data Entry Requirements

You must enter the following elements for a TC 282. 

 Important tips for entering TC 282:

• INV-NO - Recommended, but not required. Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub to help identify the payment for the vendors. This invoice number is printed on daily and expenditure reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• INV-DESC - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub that will help identify the payment for the vendors. STARS also posts this information to the Vendor Payment File.  The invoice description is printed on daily and expenditure reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• PROP# / COMP# - If the subobject requires a posting to the Fixed Asset System, enter the ten-character property number and the two-digit component number.  STARS requires this number on some of the Capital Outlay subobjects and transfers this transaction information to the Fixed Asset System.
• Check the Expenditure Subobject to be sure it is correct for the type of payment you are making, including whether the payment should be 1099 reportable.
• Check the Vendor Name and Address to be sure it is correct. The payee should be an individual. Do not allow one-time payments to a business unless previously approved by SCO.
• This will post to a Grant and/or Project.
• Do not allow large dollar amounts over $599 on 1099 reportable subobjects unless approved by the State Controller's Office.

Disbursement Transaction Codes

Before you can disburse cash, you must first determine where you originally posted the cash.  The following are the most commonly used disbursement transaction codes.  Detail information follows.

NOTE:  You can find other disbursement transaction codes on the DAFR8740 General Ledger to Transaction Code Cross-Reference report or the DAFR8640 report (List of TCs) report.

TC 280 - REFUND OF SUSPENSE - CASH DISBURSEMENT

(Approval level 3)

This TC refunds an unknown or undistributed deposit, or part of a deposit.  This is normally used once you have identified that the payment is not revenue and that you should return it to the payee. For example, if you used a TC 108 for a cash receipt that you could not identify to post to a suspense account to hold the receipt, a TC 280 will clear its portion of this suspense account.
 TC 280 posts to General Ledger accounts 2402 (CR-suspense clearing account) and 1003 (DR-cash in treasury).

TC 280 Data Entry Requirements

You must enter the following elements for a TC 280.

Important tips for entering TC 280:

• INV-NO - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub to help identify the payment for the vendors. This invoice number is printed on daily and subsidiary reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• INV-DESC - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub to help identify the payment for the vendors.  The invoice description is printed on daily and subsidiary reports.The TC 280 requires a Subsidiary number and the same Fund where the cash was originally deposited or where it actually is. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• VEND-NO - An optional field. If the vendor is on the Vendor Payment File, enter the nine-character vendor number and two-character Suffix of the vendor. If you do not wish to use a vendor number from the Vendor Payment File, leave this field blank and enter the NAME, NAME2, ADDR, CITY, STATE, and ZIP.
• NAME 2 - An optional field. If you do not use a vendor number, enter up to a forty-character Name 2 of the vendor you are paying. Since this transaction code does not use a vendor number, you must manually enter the Vendor Name 2. With a TC 280, you would use this field for additional names when the payment is to multiple vendors.
• Check the Vendor Name and address to be sure it belongs to the vendor you are paying.
• This will not post to a Grant or Project.
• You can identify the balance from the Subsidiary file, and General Ledger total on: the General Ledger File or the Trial Balance, under G/L 2402; Subsidiary File - screen 75 or detail on screen 69; General Ledger File - screen 76 or detail on screen 65; Trial Balance - report DAFR8160.

TC 281 - DISBURSEMENT OF SALES TAX TO TAX COMMISSION

(Approval level 3)

This TC pays the receipt deposits of Sales Tax to the State Tax Commission.

A TC 281 posts to General Ledger accounts 2109 (DR- sales tax payable) and 1003 (CR-cash in treasury).

TC 281 Data Entry Requirements

You must enter the following elements for a TC 281.

 Important tips for entering TC 281:

• INDEX or PCA - You are not required to enter an Index or PCA for this transaction code; only the Fund that they usually look up is required. However, most agencies do for better tracking purposes. Also it is helpful so the State Tax Commission has enough information to post the payment to their records.  This will also help when you need information .If you decide to use the Index/PCA, use the Index or PCA of the original TC 102 transaction.
• INV-NO - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub.  This is information for the State Tax Commission as to the period of the sales tax collected.  This number lets the Tax Commission identify the period of the payment.  STARS posts this information to the Vendor Payment File .  This invoice number is printed on daily reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• INV-DESC - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub. Include enough information so either the State Tax Commission or the agency can identify the payment. STARS also posts this information to the Vendor Payment File.  The invoice description is printed on daily reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• Check the Vendor Number to be sure it belongs to the State Tax Commission.
• This will not post to a Grant or Project.
• You can identify the balance from the General Ledger total on the General Ledger File or the Trial Balances under G/L 2109, General Ledger File - screen 76, detail on screen 65, or the Trial Balance - report DAFR8160
  

TC 283 - REFUND OF REVENUE - CASH DISBURSEMENT

(Approval level 3)

This TC records a refund to the payee of a receipt that has been posted as revenue. (The original cash receipt used a TC that posted to revenue.) The TC 283 will reduce the revenue amount. A TC 283 posts to General Ledger accounts 4100 (DR-revenues) and 1003 (CR-cash in treasury).

TC 283 Data Entry Requirements

You must enter the following elements for a TC 283.

 Important tips for entering TC 283:

• INV-NO - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub to help identify the payment for the vendors. This invoice number is printed on daily and revenue reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• INV-DESC - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub for the vendor.  The invoice description is printed on daily and revenue reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• VEND-NO - An optional field. If the vendor is on the Vendor Payment File, enter the nine-character vendor number and two-character Suffix of the vendor you are paying. If you do not wish to use a vendor number from the Vendor Payment File, leave this field blank and enter the NAME, NAME2, ADDR, CITY, STATE, and ZIP.
• NAME 2 – An optional field. If you do not use a Vendor Number, enter up to a forty-character Vendor Name 2 of the vendor you are paying. Since this transaction code does not use a Vendor Number, you must manually enter the Vendor Name 2.  With a TC 283, you would  use this field for additional names when the refund is to multiple vendors.
• Check the Revenue Subobject to be sure it matches the original revenue posting.
• Check the Vendor Name and Address to be sure it is correct.
• This will post to a Grant and/or Project.

TC 287 - DISBURSEMENT OF AMT HELD ON DEPOSIT

(Approval level 3)

This TC records a payment of all or part of a receipt held on deposit. As an example: assume you had received cash on behalf of someone who is required to post a bond which you held on deposit to either return to the payee or to use according to conditions of the bond. The TC 287 will clear its portion of the suspense account you used when you posted the initial deposit with a TC104.

A TC 287 posts to General Ledger accounts 2407 (CR-deposits) and 1003 (DR-cash in treasury).

TC 287 Data Entry Requirements

You must enter the following elements for a TC 287. NOTE: The system will have already filled in the BFY and Effective Date.

Important tips for entering TC 287:

•  INV-NO - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a fourteen-character invoice number that will print on the warrant stub to help identify the payment for the vendors. This invoice number is printed on daily, subsidiary, and expenditure reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• INV-DESC - Recommended, but not required.  Enter up to a thirty-character invoice description that will print on the warrant stub for the vendor. The invoice description is printed on daily, subsidiary, and expenditure reports. Invoice numbers and descriptions are printed on the remittance advice of the state warrant that STARS creates for vendors.
• VEND-NO - An optional field. If the vendor is on the Vendor Payment File, enter the nine-character vendor number and two-character Suffix of the vendor you are paying. If you do not wish to use a vendor number from the Vendor Payment File, leave this field blank and enter the NAME, NAME2, ADDR, CITY, STATE, and ZIP.
• NAME 2 – This field is optional. If you do not use a Vendor Number, enter up to a forty-character Vendor Name 2 of the vendor you are paying.  Since this transaction code does not use a Vendor Number, you must manually enter the Vendor Name 2. With a TC 280, you would use this field for additional names when the payment is to multiple vendors.
• The TC 287 requires a Subsidiary number and the same Fund where the cash was originally deposited or where it actually is.
• Check the Vendor Name and Address to be sure they belong to the vendor you are paying.
• This will not post to a Grant or Project.
• You can identify the balance from the Subsidiary file and the General Ledger total on: the General Ledger File or the Trial Balances under G/L 2407; General Ledger File - screen 76 or detail on screen 65; Trial Balance - report DAFR8160